This invention relates to mechanism for introducing rivet blanks to riveting mechanism. In the riveting art slug riveting is the term used to describe a riveting method wherein unheaded cylindrical blanks are inserted in work pieces and wherein heads are then formed at opposite ends of the rivet blank or slug.
The problem of providing slugs of this kind and introducing them to the riveting mechanism in proper position and for inserting them in work pieces has presented certain problems.
In some mechanisms the operation of introducing and inserting the rivet blank is by moving the same directly downwardly along the riveting axis but this necessitates a lateral movement of the upper riveting mechanism itself to clear the way for insertion of the blank and thus complicates the riveting machine structure and makes it more difficult to maintain axial alignment. In other proposals the rivet blank is introduced laterally between the riveting means and is held by the rivet feeding device until the riveting parts move toward each other relatively in a rivet head forming operation. This method is not entirely satisfactory and presents problems in the proper insertion of the rivet blank in the work prior to the actual head forming operation.